Many of the injuries that a person might suffer in a car accident do not cause pain immediately. In some instances, these injuries may go undiscovered for some time, until they worsen and become painful. In some cases, this leaves victims with very little time to seek treatment.

While not all delayed pain injuries are serious, those that produce pain in a victim’s abdomen may indicate something life threatening. If you or someone you love recently experienced a car accident and now feel pain in your abdomen, please seek medical attention as soon as you can. You may not have very much time to wait.

Internal bleeding

One of the most common causes of delayed abdominal pain is internal bleeding. Internal bleeding presents two separate concerns for victims. If the site of bleeding is large, the victim may die in a matter of hours or even just minutes from blood loss. However, if the site is relatively small, blood loss is not the primary issue.

The site of bleeding is very likely to develop an infection if the victim does not seek medical attention as soon as the accident occurs. Over a span of days or just hours, the infection may develop enough to spread through the blood stream to other organs, including the brain. Once the infection grows strong enough, a victim’s body simply cannot fight it.

Organ damage

Another common cause of abdominal pain after a car accident is organ damage. If an organ suffers damage, it may continue to function for a little while after the accident, but only for so long. If not properly treated, the damaged organ may fail entirely, which is a very serious threat to the life of the victim. Once an organ fails, the body begins to shut down, which is lengthy and painful.

If you or someone you love recently experienced a car accident, it is important to seek out medical treatment as soon as possible, whether you believe you suffered injuries or not. You may catch a serious injury before it has time to worsen.

You may also have grounds for a personal injury lawsuit to cover your expenses and other losses related to the accident. Depending on the severity of your injuries, you may have a long road ahead of you before you fully recover. Don’t hesitate to use all the tools you have available to build a strong claim and keep your rights protected.